JACKSONVILLE — They have the Super Bowl song, the coach who is the closest thing to Vince Lombardi since old Vince’s fedora was retired for good, and the experience, four straight post-season appearances, including two trips to the AFC Championship Game, in only five years of existence.

Geez, if Tom Coughlin and the Jaguars played their games at the Meadowlands instead of their

own Florida swampland, they’d have been inducted into the Greater New York Bill Parcells Hall of Fame by now.

The 15-2 Jaguars hope to put the crowning touch on their mercurial rise to the top of the AFC today when they host those amazing 15-3 Titans at Alltel Stadium for the right to travel 345 miles to the north and Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta.

The Titans, with a gimpy Steve McNair at quarterback, are saying they are destiny’s darlings and offer the first two weeks of playoff success as proof, but, to a man, it is the Jaguars who believe their manifest destiny is the NFL’s Ultimate Game. This contest is being billed as the Tale of Two ‘villes — Jacksonville vs. Nashville in the Podunk Bowl. One small city will take a giant step for the NFL today.

“I’m not going to answer any of those ‘if we lose this game’ questions,” said Jacksonville offensive tackle Leon Searcy. “I’m not even allowing that in my head right now.”

Instead, he has Super Bowl dreams.

“The cherry on top of it all will be the Super Bowl,” Searcy said.

Making it to the Super Bowl has been on the Jags’ mind ever since the Jets knocked them out of the playoffs last year at the Meadowlands. They’ve even recorded their own song, “Uh-Oh, The Jaguars Super Bowl Song.”

The Titans, who have showed the composure of champions this postseason, winning on the Music City Miracle Home Run Throwback TD the first week against Buffalo and quietly going into Indianapolis and soundly beating the Colts last week, not to mention having already snagged the Jags twice this season and winning four of five lifetime here, are taking this Super Bowl Shuffle stuff in stride.

Said Searcy of the Titans’ attempt at three straight, “We figure it’s our turn.”

Last week, the pathetic Dolphins tied themselves in knots getting upset about the Jaguars’ grand plans and were promptly handed the second-worst post-season beating in playoff history, 62-7. The Titans are taking a different approach.

“It’s just confidence they have,” said McNair, who is troubled by turf toe on his left foot and has worn a boot the last two days to protect the foot, but promised he will be 100 percent by gametime. “I don’t look at it as a slap. Some people thrive on that because it makes them more aware of what’s on the Jacksonville team’s mind.”

Still, you can be sure the Titans are irritated by the Jaguars’ bold behavior and now it’s a question of winning the game on the field, not in the recording studio.

Both these teams have superior defenses. Titan coach Jeff Fisher has masterfully recreated his old Bears 46 defense, but if the Titans don’t get to Mark Brunell quickly, he will burn them with lightning routes breaking through the middle. The Colts had that advantage last Sunday, but Jim Mora inexplicably went away from that attack even after having early success.

The Jaguars have Dom Capers at the defensive helm and the former Carolina Panthers head coach and Steelers defensive coordinator has brought his zone-blitz success south. Running back Eddie George has been Tennessee’s only real offensive weapon in the playoffs, as McNair’s running ability is of more concern than his passing ability at this point. McNair has managed to gain only 188 yards through the air in two playoff games and has not thrown a touchdown pass, so you can be sure the Jags will concentrate on taking the run away from him.

Fisher’s Titan defense will go head-to-head against Coughlin’s offense. As if Coughlin didn’t have enough to do as GM and coach of the Jaguars, he added offensive coordinator to his resume this season. Earlier in the year he butted heads with Brunell and the quarterback lost some of his confidence, but the two have grown together as the season progressed, as evidenced by last week’s blowout. It helps that running back Fred Taylor’s hamstring is much healthier.

“The more you do something, the better off you are,” said Coughlin, who knows about big wins in the pros and college (his Boston College team beat Notre Dame, 41-39 in 1993).

The same goes for the playoffs. The Jaguars insist they are finally ready to take that big step to the Super Bowl. This is an opportunity they don’t expect to let slip past them again.

“It’s hard to get here, one game from the Super Bowl,” Searcy said. “I don’t think people understand that. You have to take in every moment of this.”